Pharmacy staff: Booking your autumn C-19 vac booster
Following the launch of the autumn vaccination season on 3rd October 2024, pharmacy owners are reminded to encourage their pharmacy staff to book an appointment for their COVID-19 booster vaccinations.
Eligible frontline health and care professionals may be offered a COVID-19 vaccination by their employer (e.g. pharmacies commissioned to provide COVID-19 vaccinations), can book through the National Booking Service or can book via the NHS App. Online or NHS App bookings for a vaccination need to made before 20th December 2024.
Eligible staff are encouraged to book an appointment for a booster dose as soon as possible, provided it has been at least three months since their last dose of the vaccine.
NHS flu vaccinations
NHS England advised in the Annual flu letter, that all frontline health care workers, including community pharmacy staff, who have contact with patients, should be offered a flu vaccine as part of their employers’ policy for the prevention of the transmission of flu. However, under the NHS Flu Vaccination Advanced service, unless a pharmacy staff member falls under an eligible patient cohort, pharmacy staff are not an eligible cohort for NHS flu vaccinations.
An NHS flu vaccination can only be provided to frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer-led occupational health scheme. This cohort, includes those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by people who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants.
Provision of flu vaccinations to pharmacy staff (who do not fall into one of the eligible cohorts) can only occur as part of their employer’s occupational health commitment to meet their responsibility to protect their staff and patients and ensure the overall safe running of services. Provision is not part of the NHS Flu Vaccination Service.
Book your COVID-19 vaccination
